Analysis of Facial Proportions in Attractive Female Faces

Facial beauty has traditionally been linked to the rest of harmonious facial dimensions and the golden ratio. Nevertheless compelling the evidence, mounting investigations reveal that facial aesthetics may be ethnicity- and population dependent. There is limited evidence regarding the anatomy of facial aesthetics. The aim of this study was to evaluate horizontal facial proportions (hfp), vertical facial proportions, and facial aspect ratio in aesthetically beautiful female individuals and compare them with classical golden ratio parameters. Between October 2025 and March 2026, a cross-sectional observational study was performed on one hundred aesthetically attractive female participants aged from 18–35 years who were recruited from College of Dentistry, Al-Bayan University, Baghdad, Iraq. Frontal facial photographs were taken in standardized conditions. The Image J software was used to perform the facial measurements method on horizontal facial ratios, vertical facial ratios and the facial aspect ratio. Statistical analyses constituted descriptive and repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), one-sample t-tests, and chi-square tests used to analyze the data, with an alpha level was set at p<0.05. Mean horizontal facial proportions of up, middle and low third were 31.83±3.34%, 33.27±1.94% and 34.94±2.75%, respectively, with significant differences among three sections (F=3.026, p=0.001). In relation to classical golden ratio, the upper facial third was significantly smaller (p<0.001), middle facial third did not show any significant difference (p=0.877), but lower facial third was significantly larger (p<0.001). Data regarding mean vertical facial proportions were 17.3±3.9%, 19.09±1.28%, 26.3±1.8%, 19.01±1.26% and 18.4±4.08%, showing very high variability in the measurements (F=2.391, p=0.001). The mean facial aspect ratio was 1:1.329±0.123, which is a significantly higher than classical golden ratio of 1:1.46 (t=−11.21, p=0.001). Most subjects had sub-1.4 facial aspect ratios (42% < 1.3, 36% between 1.3 and 1.4). The faces of aesthetically attractive females in the studied population displayed typical facial proportions approximating but not strictly adhering to the classical golden ratio. The best facial proportions were close to 32:33:35 for the horizontal thirds of the face, 17:19:26:20:18 for vertical facial proportions, and a 1:1.33 aspect ratio of the whole face. The results provide additional evidence for the suggestion that facial attractiveness is a function of general facial harmony and population-specific features which does not adhere to an absolute mathematical standard.